The Texas Rent Relief (TRR) Program is opening applications on March 14th at 8:00 am and will be extended until March 28th at 11:59 pm. During that time, tenants and/or landlords may apply for rent or utility assistance for past due or future rent and/or utility bills. It usually requires both tenants and landlords to sign the application. 

Texas Rent Relief still has 96 million dollars in funds and thus decided to provide another application period. This is on a first come first serve basis.

TRR states that “First-time TRR applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of rent and utility bill assistance, either with past due payments or a combination of past due and future payments made on their behalf. Returning applicants who have not received the maximum allowed 18 months of assistance for rent and/or utility bills can submit an Additional Funding Request via their existing online user account.”

According to the Texas Rent Relief FAQ’s page for those who qualify for rent or utility assistance:

• “Renter households must have an income no more than 80 percent of area median income (AMI) AND one or more members of the household must attest in writing that they have either:
  • qualified for unemployment benefits, OR
  • due to or during the pandemic:
    • experienced a reduction in income,
    • incurred significant costs, or
    • experienced other financial hardships.
  • AND one or more individuals within the household must demonstrate:
    • That they are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which may include a past-due utility or rent notice or eviction notice, OR
    • That unless they receive rental assistance, they would have to move to an unsafe/unhealthy environment like a shared living situation or emergency shelter.”